As a member of the European Union, Bulgaria has been officially committed to introducing the euro since 2007, as soon as the necessary criteria for the currency changeover are met. On 10^th July 2020, Bulgaria also joined the Exchange Rate Mechanism II.

With the publication of its convergence report on 4^th June 2025, the EU Commission confirmed that Bulgaria meets all the criteria for introducing the euro, and on 8^th July 2025, the European Parliament finally approved Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone.

Bulgaria is therefore expected to become the 21^st member of the eurozone on 1^st January 2026 and to introduce the euro at a rate of 1.95583 lev = 1 euro.

The designs for the national sides of the euro coins have already been approved and are familiar to the Bulgarian population from the lev. They feature the famous Madara Rider and the two saints Ivan Rilski and Païssi of Hilandar.

A logical consequence of the introduction of the euro is that the current set of lev coins will become Bulgaria's last national set and thus gain numismatic value.